Favorite snacks to bring onboard

[MccfamschoolMom]

Corn Nuts may well taste OK indefinitely (it's been a while since I last had them); however, regular nuts can go stale/rancid if they sit around one's kitchen cupboards too long. (Learned this the hard way!) So nuts for a travel snack (on Amtrak or elsewhere) should be recently purchased.

 

[Qapla]

So nuts for a travel snack (on Amtrak or elsewhere) should be recently purchased.

Yes, they are best when fairly fresh .... and Snyder's has a good selection

The company's brands include Snyder's of Hanover, Lance, Kettle Brand, Cape Cod Potato Chips, Late July Snacks, Diamond Nuts, Emerald Nuts, Jays, Grande, Tom’s, Archway, Pop-Secret

 

[Rail Freak]

Have a friend who makes Beef Jerky, (GOOD STUFF)! It comes in handy for ball games, Nascar Amtrak!

 

[Dakota 400]

The company's brands include Snyder's of Hanover, Lance, Kettle Brand, Cape Cod Potato Chips, Late July Snacks, Diamond Nuts, Emerald Nuts, Jays, Grande, Tom’s, Archway, Pop-Secret

I did not know that the same company produced all of those brands. Thanks for the information. Several of the brands are frequently on my shopping list.

 

[dlagrua]

Whiskey in a pocket flask.

Wow, you've got to be into some serious drinking but I must admit is does fit easily under the jacket.
Our onboard food is a small cooler with a few soft drinks but most recently we bring take out food on the Eastern routes to Chicago. IMO, even a cold fresh chicken salad sandwich is better than whats on the menu on those trains.

 

[Asher]

First, your questions are not silly.

Yes, the LSA (Lead Service Attendant) in the Sleeper Lounge may or may not permit outside food in the sleeper lounger.

Yes, the wine I drink and the cheese I eat are purchased in the cafe car. I generally purchase a half bottle and drink half during the afternoon and finish it at dinner. Since it was purchased on the train, you are able to consume it in public. A small single serving of wine is provided gratis with flex dining. If I have had enough wine, I will keep it and drink it later.
I am more of a beer drinker than a wine drinker, but I like craft beer and Amtrak's selection on the Silver Meteor (my home train) is lacking.

You need a growler you can fill at your local brewery before and hopefully during a trip

 

[Asher]

It's true that many ingredients we typically refrigerate will remain benign at room temperature. That being said, even if we accept that unrefrigerated mayo probably won't harm us it still doesn't change the fact that it tends to darken and congeal in a rather unappetizing manner. Although unhealthy to eat on a regular basis there are many dry snacks that are unlikely to change in any meaningful manner for years at a time regardless of storage or exposure.

Some of that Snyder stuff turns messy, gooey to the touch after opening. I like the original pretzels. With wine or beer.
I will say, these dry snacks usually pass the smell test, some of the previous snacks when opened are less than fragrant.

 

[Maglev]

regular nuts can go stale/rancid if they sit around one's kitchen cupboards too long. (Learned this the hard way!) So nuts for a travel snack (on Amtrak or elsewhere) should be recently purchased.

So regarding freshness and mixed nuts--I vacuum seal the nuts in individual serving sizes when I bring them on board, and this seems to keep them fresh. At home, we have learned to keep the opened container of mixed nuts in the refrigerator, and keep back stock in a freezer.

 

[Devil's Advocate]

Some of that Snyder stuff turns messy, gooey to the touch after opening. I like the original pretzels. With wine or beer.

I live in a hot and humid location but never noticed any problems.

 

[Brian Battuello]

My personal favorite is the mixed nuts and raisins package I swipe from the Amtrak Lounge. Not that I would ever do that...

 

[AFS1970]

I generally bring dry non perishable snacks like nuts or granola bars. My wife's go to travel snack in gummy bears. I never think to bring my own liquor or beer with me, but that may just be because I rarely travel in a sleeper. Even when getting food from Amtrak, I often don't think to get beer or liquor on board. It's almost a V8 moment when I see someone else with a beer and think, wow I could have had one of those. I have brought breakfast sandwiches from a shop in the station on early morning trains before.

 

[MccfamschoolMom]

Sausage biscuits from the McDonald's in Chicago Union Station were my daughter's go-to snack on trips home from grad school.

 

[JRR]

Sausage biscuits from the McDonald's in Chicago Union Station were my daughter's go-to snack on trips home from grad school.

We like the little Nutella packs. Costco sells a box with a number of them. We always grab a few when we go on a trip.

 

[MccfamschoolMom]

I picked up a few Butterball Premium Snacks packages from the clearance refrigerated case at the supermarket today, and just tried one. Slices of real turkey (not cold cuts), with small portions each of some grain-based snack (mine had sesame sticks; another had stuffing cubes) and dried fruit (things like dried pineapple or craisins). Satisfying, balanced, and tastier than "Lunchables". I imagine if you kept them in your fridge until the day of travel, they'd be OK for a day trip on the train. (Don't know if they'd keep for a second day aboard without refrigeration; maybe someone who's brought Lunchables or a similar snack on a train would have better knowledge on this?)

 

[Skyline]

I like "PackIt Gourmet" pouches. These are intended as backpacking snacks, breakfasts, lunches, dinners for using during a "wilderness" adventure. Some require cold water, others boiling hot water which should be doable on a train. Just open the pouch, pour in water, mix it all up by squeezing, then re-seal the pouch (ziploc style closure). In as little as 10 minutes it's rehydrated and you have a delicious, reasonably healthy meal or snack. Eat right out of the pouch. A long spoon or spork is advised. (A very few items require cooking in a skillet; obviously not happening on a train but most are prepared in the pouch.)

Given some of the entrees now served on Amtrak, these are superior IMHO. Entrees range from about $9 to $14. Less than a comparable amount of diner food. Lightweight and easy to pack, also!

https://www.packitgourmet.com/
My only regret is that Amtrak (and VIA) force sleeper pax to "pay" for on-board meals as part of their sleeper fare. I'd rather the sleeper cost be pared down, and pay for meals a la carte in the diner if I want to, eat my own food when I don't. (And why can't coach pax use the same diner?)

 

[Devil's Advocate]

Has anyone had any luck bringing salads onboard and keeping them stabalized without heat or cold damage so they can remain appetizing throughout the trip? I'm not a vegetarian but I am trying to make more of my intake veggie related for a variety of reasons. This is relatively easy at home and at the office, but I'm not sure how well it will work on Amtrak.

 

[MccfamschoolMom]

Has anyone had any luck bringing salads onboard and keeping them stabalized without heat or cold damage so they can remain appetizing throughout the trip? I'm not a vegetarian but I am trying to make more of my intake veggie related for a variety of reasons. This is relatively easy at home and at the office, but I'm not sure how well it will work on Amtrak.

Would raw veggies and a non-perishable dip (like peanut butter, bean dip/hummus or cheese in a squirt can (f.ex., Nabisco Easy Cheese) work? I know bananas probably would NOT work; I tried bringing some on a train in Denmark years ago, and they had gotten brown and mushy by the time I was ready to eat them.

 

[pennyk]

Has anyone had any luck bringing salads onboard and keeping them stabalized without heat or cold damage so they can remain appetizing throughout the trip? I'm not a vegetarian but I am trying to make more of my intake veggie related for a variety of reasons. This is relatively easy at home and at the office, but I'm not sure how well it will work on Amtrak.

I have prepared spinach/greens salads at home and brought on the train. I have consumed within about 4 hours of preparing. I purchase individual packets of oil and vinegar, so I do not dress the salad until I am ready to eat it. I had no problems, however, I am not sure how well my salad will do overnight. I like to travel light, so a large cooler would not work for me.

 

[tricia]

Hard vegetables, like carrot and celery sticks or radishes, will keep reasonably fresh in a sealed container for a couple of days, depending on ambient temperature.